Shire signs on to green power collaboration

THE Surf Coast Shire council expects to save about $200,000 a year on the organisation’s energy bills through the new green initiative it has just joined with 45 other Victorian councils.

The Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO) is the largest ever emissions reduction project by local government in Australia and will provide 45 per cent of the participating councils’ electricity requirements with 100 per cent renewables, reducing greenhouse emissions by 260,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

This will mean all Surf Coast Shire council facilities and street lights will be powered with 100 per cent renewable electricity from the time the VECO contract starts on July 1.

Initiated by and facilitated with the Victorian Greenhouse Alliances, VECO recognises the benefits of renewable energy for the environment and the economy.

The 240GWh of clean power to be provided by Red Energy is equivalent to powering 48,000 homes with renewables or removing the emissions from 90,000 cars every year.

VECO is expected to save the Surf Coast Shire council about 35 per cent on electricity bills, based on present costs, with estimated savings of more than $200,000 a year and $2.5 million over the life of the contract.

“Council is committed to Climate Emergency response and we are very proud to be part of this collaborative action,” Surf Coast deputy mayor Liz Pattison said.

“Not only will we be helping to reduce emissions as a sector, but also recording significant savings on our ‘business as usual’ electricity costs.

“I am excited to think that our goal of 100 per cent renewable electricity will be reached from July 1 and I hope that our leadership in being part of this collaboration will inspire other sectors and organisations to look for renewable, sustainable energy alternatives.”

By procuring 100 per cent renewable electricity for all facilities and street lights from July 2021, the Surf Coast Shire council expects to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by about 2450 carbon dioxide equivalent tonnes a year, or about 15.5 per cent.

The council expects to be buying about 2.3 GWh of renewable electricity a year.

The Darebin City council is leading VECO, and Darebin mayor Lina Messina said the project was proof of what could be achieved with collaboration.

“This is a collective effort formed by staff and councillors from across the state, for the benefit of our communities,” Cr Messina said.

“By powering councils with affordable renewable energy, we’re making ratepayers’ dollars go further.

“Every dollar we save on energy bills is a dollar we can put towards improving roads, footpaths, libraries or community programs.”

Red Energy will provide 240 GWh of electricity per year to the 46 councils in the VECO purchasing group over a period of nine-and-a-half years.

Owned by Snowy Hydro, Red Energy is a 100 per cent Australian owned and operated energy retailer based in Melbourne.

The renewable energy will be provided by two wind farms in Victoria – Dundonnell wind farm near Mortlake, which started exporting power to the grid in March 2020, and Murra Warra II wind farm near Horsham, which started construction in September 2020 and will be fully operational by June 2022.